I had always thought of Docheol as nothing more than a battle fanatic.
Based on what Gongbok and Chodo had told , there wasn’t much else to assu.
But it turns out her true nature was slightly different from what I’d expected.
She had her own reasons for acting the way she did.
Simply defeating her might have been enough to force her into submission, but thanks to my Dragon Eyes, I handled things more effectively.
I’d managed to show acceptance toward the part of her she was most hesitant about—whether it was a wound or a vulnerability.
While I can’t fully trust her loyalty just yet, this was a solid start.
Docheol had admitted defeat and, for now, was willing to listen to .
As long as my requests weren’t too unreasonable, she’d likely comply.
Little by little, I’d have to win her over until she followed wholeheartedly.
Having soone like Docheol—a mber of the Yongsaengguja—join my side was a monuntal developnt.
What is the Yongsaengguja?
It refers to the children of the True Dragon.
They are ancient mystical beings with unparalleled knowledge, information, and significant combat power, thanks to their inherited dragon blood.
Of course, I had encountered two other Yongsaengguja before Docheol, but those cases were different.
Chodo, though friendly, seed content to stay hidden within her territory.
Gongbok was powerful but had been absorbed by the fox bead.
They were helpful, but neither could fully utilize their strength.
Docheol, on the other hand?
When a fight broke out, she’d be at the forefront, and unlike Chodo or Gongbok, she could wield her full power.
Her strength was comparable to mine, to the point where it was hard to tell who was superior.
Though I ultimately won our fight, a small change in circumstances could have easily flipped the outco.
If she hadn’t been injured and had fought in her full form from the beginning, I probably would have lost.
Even defeating her required to exhaust all my resources—barely eking out a victory.
If I were to compare it to a ga, I still had so HP left, but my MP was completely depleted.
Had her stamina been a bit higher, the result might have been different.
Now, with soone of nearly equal strength joining the Gae Gak Sect, our power far surpassed that of the Nine Great Clans or the Five Grand Families combined.
Even Red Dragon managed to defeat a master at the Flowering Realm, and both Docheol and I could likely match that level of skill.
Of course, taking on a group of masters at the Hyeongyeong level would still be tough, but we wouldn’t lose outright.
No matter how strong a Hyeongyeong master is, surely they wouldn’t survive a lightning strike that fries their body.
If Baekrang froze them, Red Dragon burned them, and Docheol delivered the final blow, we could probably take down at least one.
Unless they were soone at my ntor’s level, I believe we’d win without too much trouble.
“Hmph, this is a decent nest. A proper domain befitting a male,” Docheol remarked.
Baekrang glanced at her with a weary expression.
Though I’d expected them to bicker, Baekrang quickly realized how bizarre Docheol was and decided to leave her alone.
As expected of the second sage of the Gae Gak Sect.
Of course, the first sage is Nephila.
Docheol’s personality might be strange, but her simplicity could be useful. With the right approach, I could guide her as I pleased.
Thinking this way made her presence feel reassuring.
It’s better to deal with soone whose thoughts are transparent rather than soone two-faced.
“Kiyoong!”
Tus and Pus waved at in greeting.
Then they tilted their heads, staring intently at Baekrang and Docheol.
“Kiyeeng?”
They must have been confused—they could sll but couldn’t see .
“Gegek.”
I poked my head out.
From Baekrang’s front lapel.
“Kiyooong!”
“Kek!”
It’s not like I wanted to hide there, but Baekrang kept tucking in, so I had no choice.
“Gerorong.”
“Oh, a Guardian Spider. And one imbued with the power of frost… even a trace of their master’s energy. These are no ordinary spiders,” Docheol said, evaluating Tus and Pus positively.
Though I’d raised them myself, they truly had grown magnificently.
My growth rate was absurd, but even for Tus and Pus, their developnt was remarkable.
It feels like just yesterday they were struggling to catch a water beetle, and now look at them—fully grown.
Shwik!
They even knew how to attach their webs to now.
Wait, webs?
Sothing stuck to , and before I knew it, I was being pulled out of Baekrang’s cozy lap.
Just like I once hunted piranhas with my webs, Tus and Pus had “caught” .
“Kiyooong!”
Did I raise tiger cubs instead of spiders?
With gleaming eyes, Tus and Pus leapt at my smaller form.
“Geeeeek!”
Let go, you brats!
They licked eagerly, like puppies with bright pink tongues.
Though it was strange for spiders to have such tongues, Tus and Pus were already exceptional spiritual beings, so I guess it wasn’t too odd.
As the spiders continued to fuss over , other creatures began appearing one by one.
“Tweet-tweet!”
Jaekjaeki ca rushing over, utterly excited.
“Tweet-rolorolong!”
…Where did you even learn that bizarre cry?
Was this her first ti seeing in my shrunken state?
Judging by the way she stared and slightly opened her beak, I had a feeling she was having strange thoughts.
This is the sa bird that, when we first t, tried to dive into my mouth.
Now that she’s bigger, is she thinking of putting in her beak?
I doubt she’s planning to eat , but it’s still a little scary.
Strangely, Nephila didn’t pounce on this ti.
Being the first companion I t, she probably understood best.
As expected of Nephila.
“Slurp…”
Though watching her pinch her arm and swallow her saliva was admittedly terrifying, I doubt she’d do anything dangerous.
The fact that she’s holding back earns her a spot in the top 1% of spiders.
“Egg pouch…”
…She is holding back, right?
The next to greet was Soyeong.
Though "greet" might not be the right word—her groggy face suggested she’d been woken by the commotion.
Soyeong isn’t the type to be lazy and sleep in, though.
It’s probably because she’s been training under Tang Muyeong, who’s been staying here longer than expected.
To properly assist , the Gae Gak Sect’s Gomodo, Soyeong needed to master more of the Tang Clan’s techniques and at least reach the pinnacle level.
Though I think she’s better suited to being a second-rate martial artist, there’s no harm in her growing stronger.
Even with her poisons, having more ways to protect herself can only be a good thing.
The Tang Clan’s training thods seed grueling, but Soyeong endured without a single complaint.
Normally, Soyeong is light, small, flat, and fragile, but seeing her train so diligently makes proud.
Perhaps I should start calling her "Dae-yeong" instead of Soyeong, the Tang Clan prodigy.
“…Has Gomodo gotten smaller again?”
Soyeong flicked her tongue as if mimicking a snake.
You’re human, rember?
“I… co here…”
She wiggled her fingers strangely but hesitated when she saw my tail twitching.
Good. Keep thinking it through.
My tail does not tolerate this nonsense.
“Ah, screw it. Co here!”
Soyeong squeezed her eyes shut and leaned in, fully aware she might get hit.
Well, you’ve worked hard too, so…
“…Huh? Why didn’t you hit ?”
What? The way you’re talking, anyone would think I go around smacking you every day.
“Hehe… Well, now that you’ve felt my touch, even soone like Gomodo can’t help but be swayed. Uhuhu… hohoho…”
Her laughter shifted from “hehe” to “hohoho.”
“Today, I’ll make a special exception and let you sleep with . Oh, and can I touch your tail? No, wait. Asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission, so maybe I’ll—”
Look at this girl!
Wham!
“Ouch!”
Soyeong whined, cradling the bump on her forehead.
Even when I try to go easy on her, she brings the punishnt on herself.
The strangely satisfied look on her face—don’t tell she wanted to get smacked by my tail?
Maybe I’ve hit her too many tis…
Thinking about it makes feel a bit guilty.
“Ahem… You all saw that, right? He only does this special treatnt for !”
Never mind—I take back the apology.
“Hmm… Striking a female without hesitation, delivering swift justice. Truly a model male. And the sa technique you used to end … not a shred of rcy in your execution.”
Docheol seed impressed, though comparing the two techniques felt off.
When hitting Soyeong, I used just enough strength to sting for a mont, but when fighting Docheol, I struck with full force and no restraint.
I wonder if Soyeong realizes how carefully I hold back when hitting her.
“Ugh… Oh, but who’s that next to you?”
Still rubbing her forehead, Soyeong finally seed to notice Docheol.
“Oh, a man?”
Hearing those words, Docheol’s face brightened.
“Hmm, you have a keen eye for a female.”
Behind , Baekrang silently shook her head.
Currently, Docheol wasn’t in her old, elderly form.
And thankfully, she had put back on what was arguably the ugliest outfit in existence—the one she’d discarded earlier.
It covered her overwhelming energy pouch so effectively it might as well have been enchanted.
…Speaking of which, enchanted items are always weird.
The Fung-Yuhwan and this outfit—tentatively nad the "Anti-Charm Outfit"—were pri examples.
Still, Docheol seed to pick up on Baekrang’s body language and realized that Soyeong might be seeing through her “male” act.
With her handso, youthful face but thin voice, it wasn’t too hard to piece together.
“Ahem. It looks like everything was resolved well? This must be your first ti here. Since I’m your senior, I’ll show you around,” Soyeong said, suddenly full of enthusiasm.
Was she excited because we had a new recruit?
Her slight smugness felt off, though.
…On closer inspection, I noticed Soyeong’s gaze lingering on Docheol’s chest.
Could she be thrilled because she’s finally t soone smaller than her?
Or perhaps it’s the first ti she’s encountered soone like that?
She doesn’t realize that Docheol’s energy pouch is sothing far beyond her comprehension.
Unaware, Soyeong cheerfully explained the Gae Gak Sect to Docheol.
While she often seed clueless, she could be sharp in situations like this.
Though she exaggerated her importance to the sect, claiming she was indispensable and my most favored follower, her explanation was otherwise decent.
Docheol seed genuinely interested in the Gae Gak Sect and listened attentively.
Even if I hadn’t explained things, she would have followed eventually, but starting like this had its rits.
Once Docheol officially joined, I could slowly extract information about the True Dragon from her.
Docheol had been residing in Kunlun until recently.
Naturally, she’d know a lot about the True Dragon.
What does the True Dragon think about the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?
What’s their opinion of soone like , stirring up trouble from their perspective?
What actions might the True Dragon take?
And what should we do in response?
Bringing Docheol into the fold wasn’t just about boosting our combat power.
Her addition marked a cornerstone for capturing the True Dragon and a signal for the beginning of a new era for the Gae Gak Sect.
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